• Welcome
  • About
  • Shop
  • Workshops
  • FAQ
  • Contact
  • Stir, Steep, Stitch
Menu

Tierney Barden

  • Welcome
  • About
  • Shop
  • Workshops
  • FAQ
  • Contact
  • Stir, Steep, Stitch
Photograph by Tierney Barden 2015

Photograph by Tierney Barden 2015

Stir, Steep, Stitch

Settle in, as this is a place to tell stories in stitch; to share new ideas and bodies of work as they unfold; to connect with fiber enthusiasts and needle-wielding friends every where. 

A few words about using photographs on this site:

All the photographs on this website are taken by Tierney Barden, unless otherwise credited. You may use Tierney's photos, but kindly link back to this website. Thank you very much! 

Click the image to download my FREE Striped Octagon EPP template, and share what you make #tierneybarden. We'd all love to see!

Click the image to download my FREE Striped Octagon EPP template, and share what you make #tierneybarden. We'd all love to see!

Click the image to download my charm-friendly FREE Gingham for Giants quilt pattern! Share what you make #tierneybarden. We'd all love to see!

Click the image to download my charm-friendly FREE Gingham for Giants quilt pattern! Share what you make #tierneybarden. We'd all love to see!

Click the image to download my FREE "Winter Wonderland" Hexagon page from your desktop computer! You'll get 28 - 1" hexis each with an inspiring word celebrating what we love most about winter! Read this blog post for more information about printing…

Click the image to download my FREE "Winter Wonderland" Hexagon page from your desktop computer! You'll get 28 - 1" hexis each with an inspiring word or two celebrating winter! Read this blog post for more information about printing this PDF. #tierneybarden

Click the image to download my FREE "Girl Power" Hexagon page from your desktop computer! You'll get 28 - 1" hexis each with an inspiring word celebrating girl power! Read this blog post for more information about printing this PDF. #tierneybarden

Click the image to download my FREE "Girl Power" Hexagon page from your desktop computer! You'll get 28 - 1" hexis each with an inspiring word celebrating girl power! Read this blog post for more information about printing this PDF. #tierneybarden

Subscribe

Sign up with your email address to receive this newsletter sent on occasions when news is happening. Be the first to know about sales, receive free patterns and cultivate your creativity!

We respect your privacy and don't share your email address.

Thank you for choosing to receive our newsletter. We're excited to be connected with you! Here's to a year full of stitching adventures together! 

Project Linus
Dark Night, 2018

Dark Night, 2018

Gallery Talk: Dark Night

July 13, 2018 in Art Quilts

Welcome to the third of four posts that look deeper into the making of my art quilts recently shown at Squam Art Workshops. 

Dark Night has many layers, both physical and metaphorical, so enjoy this rare peek behind the curtain. For the complete view of "My Enchanted Wonderland" installation, please click here.

Dark Night, 2018

Dark Night, 2018

Title: Dark Night, 33.5" x 39"

Materials: Shot silk, my father's silk ties, men's cotton dress shirts, silk shantung, Japanese wovens, shot cottons, commercial cottons; wool batting

Techniques: Needle-turn applique, machine piecing, machine quilting

Date: January-February, April 2018

 

 

 

 

American Folk Art quilt, artist unknown, 1825-1845. Wool, silk, cotton, applique, beading and embroidery. Photo by Gavin Ashworth for the American Folk Art Museum.

American Folk Art quilt, artist unknown, 1825-1845. Wool, silk, cotton, applique, beading and embroidery. Photo by Gavin Ashworth for the American Folk Art Museum.

Smitten with American Folk Art quilts, like the example shown at left, I've long wanted to make my own quilt that tells a story with hand applique figures sprinkled all over the surface. Antique folk art quilts commonly illustrated daily life on the farm, politics of the day or biblical stories; however, my quilt tells a tale that transcends time and place. The title of this quilt is a nod to a specific step of the Hero's Journey as defined by Joseph Campbell: the dark night of the soul. Making this quilt provided plenty of time to really consider what it is to be on a quest through our own dark night - the battles we fight, the choices we make along the way, whether we hold fast to our values and beliefs or perhaps discover things about ourselves that change how we see the world and ourselves. My quilt's overall design became a treasure hunt, a search for meaning, sign posts and messages that help light the way through the darkness. 

 

 

 

As my stitched quest grew richer and more meaningful, these words eventually made their way to the surface:

Dark Night

In the depths of that dark night

Every minute of every hour

Choose love.

Shine your light. Breathe.

Trust in yourself. Believe.

One day, you'll look back

Stronger. Wiser. Softer.  

        -T.B.

tierneybarden.jpg

As I mentioned, this quilt has many layers, one of which is the actual making of it. Imagine that it's February in upstate NY. Cold winds whip around the house, the days are more dark than light and temperatures hover in the teens. I'm safe in my Nest, burrowed beneath layers of downy softness, warmth and comfort, busily stitching by hand. On my right is an aged wooden bowl that holds my favorite tools and threads. Hot coffee on my night stand at 6:00AM, and by 7:00PM a fresh cup of fennel tea and a small piece of chocolate. I tell myself I've earned it, stitching by hand for 12 hours. The next day, wake up and repeat, and still with a happy heart. I realize this is the work I was meant to do. These are the stories I was meant to tell. 

The background of this quilt is the traditional Flowering Snowball block. I chose that block because, like life, everything is connected. I also like how the geometry of the pattern blends both feminine and masculine energies. From around the studio I thoughtfully pulled a wide variety of fabrics, including men's dress shirts, Japanese wovens and some commercial cottons. The fabrics had to relate to the story being told, for example, a bit of black lace suggests grieving, loss, pain, sorrow, feminine energy, etc.. Where there's shadow there is light, so fabrics that brought in light were equally important, hence the gorgeous rose-gold shot silk.  Including some of my dad's ties made this quilt very personal. My dad passed away of a heart attack at age 59. I was 29. This sudden and tragic loss was my first quest into my own dark night.

As rough as they are, I made my Flowering Snowball templates by hand and they worked like a charm. The test block shown here later became part of a pillow I made for Terri Dautcher who was indispensable helping me hang this show.

As rough as they are, I made my Flowering Snowball templates by hand and they worked like a charm. The test block shown here later became part of a pillow I made for Terri Dautcher who was indispensable helping me hang this show.

The background all laid out before machine piecing it together. At this stage, I had only a basic idea of what the rose-gold silk applique might look. 

The background all laid out before machine piecing it together. At this stage, I had only a basic idea of what the rose-gold silk applique might look. 

Scattered on the floor of My Enchanted Wonderland installation were some of the actual cut paper rose stems used in the making of Dark Night. 

Scattered on the floor of My Enchanted Wonderland installation were some of the actual cut paper rose stems used in the making of Dark Night. 

For this quilt, loose paper cut shapes helped determine the composition before the final shapes were cut from silk.

For this quilt, loose paper cut shapes helped determine the composition before the final shapes were cut from silk.

Hand stitching silk shantung is an indulgence I'd afford again and again. Stitching shantung into a garment is one thing, needle turn applique is another. Once I understood this fabric's tendency to fray, the nature of the weave upon turning under, and the presence of slubs, the process actually became enjoyable and I found myself drawing somewhat intricate shapes like the key, the ladder and the swan. The entire composition actually evolved over weeks of stitching, adding more paper shapes, then more stitching and more paper shapes. As I stitched, I'd connect a few more dots about dark versus light, or fighting the good fight, and another symbol would appear in my mind's eye. Gradually, all of the quilt's symbols revealed themselves. Looking back on the process, it was a good lesson in staying open and in the flow.  

One of the reasons I'm partial to antique folk art quilts is their inherent wonkiness. Confronting my Type-A personality, I intentionally made myself loosen up when drawing and cutting each and every paper shape. I stopped myself from "fixing" this curve or that petal. I have to say that those wonky shapes were a joy to applique. It's funny to me that when I teach, I readily encourage students to embrace imperfection, to celebrate it, and there I was, reminding myself to do as I say. For me, those mis-shapen, odd-looking shapes breathe life into the piece. They add character and personality. The way I see it, evidence of the human hand is a gift, a little piece of the maker left behind for the viewer to discover, to take delight in and even to bond with the maker - to say, "Yes, I'm human, too." I'll have more of that, please. 

I hand basted this quilt before taking it to the machine for free motion quilting. 

I hand basted this quilt before taking it to the machine for free motion quilting. 

First day of machine quilting. Two full days, total.

First day of machine quilting. Two full days, total.

This handsome piece of Jo Morton fabric was perfect for the quilt backing and binding. One layer of wool batting was enough to create a sculptural quality on the back.

This handsome piece of Jo Morton fabric was perfect for the quilt backing and binding. One layer of wool batting was enough to create a sculptural quality on the back.

Dark Night is suspended over my Nest in the cozy Deephaven Library, 2018.

Dark Night is suspended over my Nest in the cozy Deephaven Library, 2018.

Artists are often asked, "How do you know when a piece is finished?" For me, there simply comes a moment when I notice a silence in me, a stillness that says, "No more is needed. I've said all I need to say."  

As always, please share your questions and comments below or by email: tierneybarden@gmail.com. I'm grateful, and I read them all. You can also follow my natural dye works and daily life on Instagram @tierneybarden.

Tags: quilt block, applique, wool batting, silk, fahter's ties, symbolism, dark night, flowering snowball, japanese wovens, wabi sabi, folk art
← Gallery Talk: Self PortraitGallery Talk: New York Beauty →
Back to Top

"...there have been many times I've fallen in love with fabric, but NEVER like this." Trista R., @_trquilts, Vermont, USA                                                        

Copyright 2015 - 2024- Tierney Barden original designs. All rights reserved.